Concerns about adaptation of the German apprenticeship model for the United States include (1) potential to intensify college-bound/noncollege-bound tracking; (2) importance of local-level commitment in the United States; and (3) national standards and accountability measures. The German system could be transformed at the local level rather than…

Describes the goals and focus of the National Workforce Assistance Collaborative, a national resource for technical assistance in workforce and workplace development supported by a Department of Labor grant. Indicates that the collaborative has developed two strategies for its dissemination effort: a national resource network and an electronic…

Drawing on interviews with Japanese company managers and workers, describes the basis for the education-work relationship in Japan and the policy implications for employers' role in work-force development. In Japan, work-force development emphasizes employers' active role in promoting internal skill development through extensive within-company…

In the United Kingdom, vocational education and training are dominated by competence approaches that seek to regulate behavior through outcomes. In Germany, they serve the broader purpose of education for citizenship. Narrow competency-based education does not develop critical skills or cultivate a sense of shared autonomy. (SK)

U.S. business has spent very little on educating workers and pay a far smaller proportion of local taxes than formerly. Corporations are increasingly finding skilled, less expensive workers abroad or through immigration. Global capital cannot create high-wage jobs in the United States without skilled workers and a first-class infrastructure. (SK)

Describes the state of human resources development in Sudan's information industry. Training problems and the emigration of high level personnel are discussed, guidelines for human resource development are suggested, and national strategies to develop and retain Sudan's human resources are suggested. (EA)

By committing to the development of partnerships between businesses and their institutions, board members will reinforce higher education's role in making the country competitive again. The result will be a nation whose workers are continuously educated and a university whose role in workforce development is more widely understood and valued.…

Presents a summary of research on key aspects of the indirect effects of expanding education from grade six through grade nine, followed by a comprehensive analysis of social rates of return to investment in all levels of education in Indonesia and underemployment in urban and rural areas. (three figures, nine tables, 33 references) (MLF)

The purpose of an upgrading program for British Ford Motor Company employees was getting trainees back into learning environments and improving communication, listening, calculation, reading, and cooperation. (SK)

Five major challenges facing vocational education are (1) the changing demographic composition of the United States; (2) the shift from a manufacturing to a service economy and decline in productivity; (3) composition of the labor force; (4) reform of preparation for work; and (5) the politics of race. (SK)

Includes "Skill Upgrading in Public and Private Organizations"; "Developing the Wealth of the Nation" (O'Toole, Simmons); "Dumbing down America" (Shanker); "Career Preparation"; "What Work Requires of Schools: The SCANS Report"; "Industry-Education Collaboration in Canada" (Clark); and…

In the vision of workplace past, work and education combined to improve productivity; in workplace present, workers are deficient and need specialized training. Workplace future must reconceptualize work, addressing race, sex, and class bias and making families and subsistence production, rather than commodity production, the centerpiece. (SK)

Reviews the policies, programs, and funding of continuing professional education in the European Community. Envisions the role of U.S. continuing education providers in Europe in the future. (SK)

Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) is a critical mechanism for manufacturing competitiveness. Education and government must focus on preparing workers for the CIM environment and providing technical assistance for technology transfer, especially in small businesses. (SK)

Workplace demands for high skills, adaptability, and continuous learning require public-private partnerships to develop effective training systems. Partnerships should serve the interests of all stakeholders, establish skills and certification standards, and create infrastructures for access. (SK)